The Driver's Seat/Transcription Log
The Driver's Seat WATCH COMMANDER MEL FLEISCHER: Here's your new desk, kid. You're on Traffic. The hot sheet is posted here next to the map. COLE PHELPS: What's his problem? WATCH COMMANDER MEL FLEISCHER: That's Biggs. He's an institution. COLE PHELPS: So this is what all the fuss is about. COLE PHELPS: Why couldn't they build a freeway that goes past my place? WATCH COMMANDER MEL FLEISCHER: They haven't even approved the money yet, kid. The bond issue won't be till December. It'll be years before any of this will happen. WATCH COMMANDER MEL FLEISCHER: Here's your new partner, Stefan Bekowsky. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: I've heard all about you, Phelps. You go easy on me and let me earn the odd citation and maybe we will get along fine. COLE PHELPS: I'm here to learn, Detective. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: He's an intense one, isn't he, Mel? ROY EARLE: Who's intense? STEFAN BEKOWSKY: The newly minted detective here. Cole Phelps. ROY EARLE: Hi, Phelps. I'll be keeping an eye on you. I could spend a little time basking in reflected glory. Would make a change from busting hookers and dope fiends. COLE PHELPS: Who was that, Commander? WATCH COMMANDER MEL FLEISCHER: Roy Earle, Chief Detective in Ad Vice. COLE PHELPS: Do they all dress like movie stars? STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Roy is a movie star, and the whole of the seedy side of LA id his audience. COLE PHELPS: What is that supposed to mean? STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Stick with me, kid. You'll find out. CAPTAIN GORDON LEARY: And now, some housekeeping. A warm Central Division welcome for Detective Cole Phelps. CAPTAIN GORDON LEARY: Some of you guys may know Phelps. He's the cop who broke the jewelry store murder. Stand up and take a bow, Phelps. COLE PHELPS: If it's alright with you, sir... CAPTAIN GORDON LEARY: That's an order, Phelps. CAPTAIN GORDON LEARY: Phelps is one of only two serving LAPD officers who received the Silver Star during the war. You really gave it to those lousy Japenese, hey, Phelps? COLE PHELPS: I did my best, Captain. CAPTAIN GORDON LEARY: Why are you war heroes always so modest? CAPTAIN GORDON LEARY: I've partnered Phelps with everyone's favorite Pole, Stefan Bekowsky. DETECTIVE JOSEPH HOBBES: Hope you like work, kid. Bekowsky sure as hell doesn't. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: That's why we have partners, right? CAPTAIN GORDON LEARY: Okay, okay. Can it, guys. Stick with Bekowsky. He's a good cop, and he knows Traffic inside and out. CAPTAIN GORDON LEARY: I'm going to start you out with one case. You do okay, I'll give you a couple more. You screw up, you'll be rousting vagrants and running license plates. Now get down to the PE Freight Depot, Sixth and Alameda. A patrolman called in a suspicious vehicle, signs of foul play. See what you can find out. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Come on, Phelps. ---- NEW CLUE: Abandoned vehicle ---- ---- NEW OBJECTIVE: Investigate P.E. Freight Depot STEFAN BEKOWSKY: They really pushed you through quick, didn't they? Six years on patrol before I got this desk, you were here in five minutes COLE PHELPS: What do you want me to say? I didn't ask for any favors. CAPTAIN GOEDON LEARY: You're wasting time. Get outta here. COLE PHELPS: You know this place? STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Sure. It's near the old gas works and signal depot, in the warehouse district. I'll direct. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: So - tell me a little about yourself, Phelps. COLE PHELPS: Are we friends now, Bekowsky? STEFAN BEKOWSKY: We have to work together. Don't be so touchy. COLE PHELPS: I grew up in San Fransisco. My father was in shipping. Went to college at Stanford, did two years ROTC before Marine OCS at Camp Elliott. Shipped out in early '45 as a First Lieutenant and fought in the Okinawa campaign. I was wounded and shipped back. Did a yesr on the beat and now I'm here. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: So you won the Silver Star? COLE PHELPS: I don't want to talk about it. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Let me get this straight - you singlehandedly killed forty Japs on this hill in Okinawa... COLE PHELPS: No. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: You were up there all night, draped in the flag, knife between your teeth, gun at the ready... COLE PHELPS: You finished? STEFAN BEKOWSKY: The Emperor Hirohito himself leading the charge against you... COLE PHELPS: I did my part, Bekowsky. What did you do? STEFAN BEKOWSKY: I kept the streets of LA safe for the people. COLE PHELPS: Yeah. Now I get it. Unfit for service. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Fuck you, Phelps. I earned a bravery citation during the Zooter riots. COLE PHELPS: Sounds like you had it rough. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: I did my job. COLE PHELPS: No-one is saying you didn't. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: I did six years as a patrolman. COLE PHELPS: That's the third time you've told me. OFFICER ANDY BROWN: That you, Bekowsky? OFFICER ANDY BROWN: Go on through. Parking lot straight ahead. NATE WILKEY: I need to get back to work, Officer. OFFICER CLYDE HART: The detectives are here now. You repeat to them what you told me. NATE WILKEY: I did the right thing by calling this in. I'm just a working stiff. OFFICER CLYDE HART: Just give them your story and you'll be alright. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: This is your first case, Phelps. It's okay to admit it if you're stumped. If you don't know what to do next, just come talk to me and we'll see what we can figure out. COLE PHELPS: Thanks, Stefan. You're okay. ---- NEW LOCATION: P.E. Freight Depot OFFICER CLYDE HART: I'm Officer Hart. COLE PHELPS: Phelps, Traffic. What have you got? OFFICER CLYDE HART: Abandoned car - probably stolen. The solid citizen is Nate Wilkey. He called it in. ---- NEW PERSON OF INTEREST: Nate Wilkey COLE PHELPS: What gives with the coroner? OFFICER CLYDE HART: There's blood all over the interior. Someone's copped the full Broderick, bur not stiff as yet. ---- NEW CLUE: Blood splashes COLE PHELPS: We have an owner for the car? OFFICER CLYDE HART: The car is registered to an Adrian Black, just north of Bunker Hill. ---- NEW PERSON OF INTEREST: Adrian Black COLE PHELPS: Alright. We'll take a look around. OFFICER CLYDE HART: I'll keep Mr Wilkey talking. But don't make him wait too long. He's the restless type. COLE PHELPS: Doc. CORONER MALCOLM CARRUTHERS: Detective...? COLE PHELPS: Phelps. What have we got? CORONER MALCOLM CARRUTHERS: A lot of blood for a blunt force injury. The victim must be in a very bad way. COLE PHELPS: Any sign of the guy? CORONER MALCOLM CARRUTHERS: Not unless he's in the trunk of the car. COLE PHELPS: Have you got a wide shot of the car in its surrounds? PHOTOGRAPHER: Listen, you and I have never met so I'm just gonna go ahead and say this once - you don't tell me how to do my job, and I won't tell you how to do yours. COLE PHELPS: Victim looks to have lost a lot of blood. ---- NEW CLUE: Receipt for live hog ---- ---- NEW PERSON OF INTEREST: F. Morgan COLE PHELPS: Mr F Morgan picked up a live pig yesterday? EDDIE ADAMS: What's going on, Detective? Something bad happen here? HENRY RADCLIFFE: Hey flatfoot! You looking to get rid of that old crate? I'll give you a nickel for it! BOB MARSHALL: You guys take your time. No freight coming through here till you're done, and we're still punching the clock. ---- NEW PERSON OF INTEREST: Mrs. Black ---- ---- NEW CLUE: Wallet ---- ---- NEW OBJECTIVE: Interview Mrs. Black COLE PHELPS: Thirty-two years old. Married. Sounds like an average guy. What was he doing out here? COLE PHELPS: Happier times, I guess. ---- NEW CLUE: Glasses COLE PHELPS: Stenzel glasses. Home repaired, by the look of it. ---- NEW CLUE: Bloody pipe COLE PHELPS: The brand name might give us something to go on. COLE PHELPS: Sir, I'm Detective Phelps. NATE WILKEY: The name's Nate Wilkey. COLE PHELPS: You found the vehicle? NATE WILKEY: Sure. Saw it just sitting there. A strange place to be parking your car. Figured I'd better take a look, then I saw all the blood, so I called the police. COLE PHELPS: Mind if I ask what you were doing out here? NATE WILKEY: Well, I work for the railway. I was on my way out to the switch and reckoned I'd take a shortcut. COLE PHELPS: Did you see anybody else in the yard? Maybe somebody hanging around the car? NATE WILKEY: Nope. I hadn't seen a soul all day till you boys turned up. COLE PHELPS: Do you know Adrian Black, Mr Wilkey? NATE WILKEY: No, sir. That ain't a name I'm familiar with. COLE PHELPS: You ever seen the car before? NATE WILKEY: Funny enough, I did. A couple of nights ago it was over there in the parking lot. COLE PHELPS: We found a steel pipe with blood on it near the car. Do you know anything about it, Mr Wilkey? NATE WILKEY: No, sir. I went straight for the law when I saw the car was full of blood. COLE PHELPS: When you saw the blood, was it wet? Bright red? Or darker like it is now? NATE WILKEY: Darker, I'd say. Looked dry already. COLE PHELPS: The wallet by the car, was there anything in it when you arrived? NATE WILKEY: You accusing me of something, mister? COLE PHELPS: Do you want the patrolman to hold you down while we turn out your pockets, Mr Wilkey? NATE WILKEY: Maybe I checked inside that wallet. Not that I was going to steal anything. Maybe I took a look... but there weren't no money in there. Not even change. COLE PHELPS: Thank you for your help, Mr Wilkey. We'll contact your employer if we need anything more from you. NATE WILKEY: If you have to, I guess. I can't really spend no more time over there. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Somebody's got to inform the wife, Phelps. If you're done here, we'll head over there now. COLE PHELPS: We're going to notify the wife. You seem to have it under control here. OFFICER CLYDE HART: Yeah. I got this. COLE PHELPS: 620 Bunker Hill Avenue. You know where that is? STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Behind Bunker Hill. Couple of blocks north of Central Station. COLE PHELPS: So what do we tell the wife? STEFAN BEKOWSKY: We play it by the book. There's no stiff yet, so let's see how it plays out. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Could be a car theft gone wrong. Make Black drive somewhere lonely then give him a tap... COLE PHELPS: But why leave the car? STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Well, obviously someone got a little heavy-handed... COLE PHELPS: It's the wrong way round. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: How so, genius? COLE PHELPS: Where is Adrian? If you've gone to all the trouble to steal a car, and it goes wrong, you'd leave the body behind. Not the car. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: You've got something there, Phelps. It doesn't add up. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: You read about the guy on the crossing yesterday? COLE PHELPS: No. What happened? STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Over on Lincoln Avenue. This guy is driving along and his oil light comes on. He stops the car and gets out... he pops the hood, and... COLE PHELPS: He's on a rail crossing? STEFAN BEKOWSKY: You got it. He's got his head under there checking the oil when the Southern Pacific freight slams into his car doing ninety miles an hour. Car came to a rest more than a mile down the track. COLE PHELPS: What a pointless waste of life. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: You'll get plenty of blood and guts and mindless stupidity working Traffic, Phelps. Who needs the 2nd Amendment when we'll give a goddamn fool the license to get behind the wheel of an automobile? COLE PHELPS: If it's a kidnapping, why leave the victim's IR? If it's a murder, why leave the car? The evidence doesn't add up. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Free lesson, Phelps. Evidence will only get you so far. You ask me, the whole thing feels hinky as hell. COLE PHELPS: What I wouldn't give to have your powers of intuition, Bekowsky. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Don't worry, kid. Keep watching the master and you'll get there one day. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Let's go introduce ourselves. You talk to her, Phelps. I'm no good at this shoulder-to-cry-on stuff. MARGARET BLACK: Just a minute! COLE PHELPS: LAPD, Mrs Black. May we come in? We have some bad news and we would rather discuss this in private. MARGARET BLACK: I'm Margaret Black. We can discuss this in the living room. Please, come in. COLE PHELPS: Your husband drives a blue Lincoln, Mrs Black? MARGARET BLACK: That's correct. COLE PHELPS: The car has been found abandond, and I'm afraid there are signs of foul play. MARGARET BLACK: Oh no! My poor Adrian. COLE PHELPS: Does the name InstaHeat mean anything to you, ma'am? MARGARET BLACK: Yes, it does... we've just had a new water hater installed. COLE PHELPS: Whereabouts, Mrs Black? MARGARET BLACK: Just outside the kitchen window. At the side of the house. COLE PHELPS: I'd like you to try and stay calm and remember everything that you can about last night. My partner and I are going to take a look around. When you're ready, we're going to have some more questions for you. Is that okay? MARGARET BLACK: Of course, Officer. Anything to help guarantee my husband's safety. ---- NEW OBJECTIVE: Investigate Black Residence STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Let's check the place out. Come on. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Have a good look around. There's gotta be something in here to go on. DR HARLAN FONTAINE: Lie down, make yourself comfortable. So you're a friend of Courtney's? DISTURBED PATIENT: Yes, Doctor. DR HARLAN FONTAINE: He seems very concerned about you. DISTURBED PATIENT: I have these visions... these blinding visions... I can't get them out of my head... my skull, it feels like it's in a vice. DR HARLAN FONTAINE: I'm going to give you something to calm your nerves DR HARLAN FONTAINE: ... DR HARLAN FONTAINE: I want to take you on a journey. A journey back... I want you to remember the good things about your past, occasions that made you laugh... times that made you smile... COLE PHELPS: Cavanagh's. So who brought this home? ---- NEW CLUE: Cavanagh's matchbook ---- ---- NEW OBJECTIVE: Trace Address of Cavanagh's COLE PHELPS: Maybe Adrian was a patron? R&I should have an address. COLE PHELPS: Operator, message for KGPL. DISPATCH: Putting you through now. COLE PHELPS: Cole Phelps. Badge twelve-forty-seven. DISPATCH: How can I help, Detective? COLE PHELPS: I need an address on a Cavanagh's Bar. DISPATCH: Certainly, Detective. One moment... Cavanagh's Bar, corner of Aliso and Hewitt. South side of Union Station. ---- NEW LOCATION: Cavanagh's Bar ---- ---- NEW OBJECTIVE: Investigate Cavanagh's Bar COLE PHELPS: Thanks, ma'am. ---- NEW CLUE: Train ticket COLE PHELPS: A used ticket to Seattle and a suitcase gone missing. Someone couldn't wait to get out of this house. COLE PHELPS: Separate bedrooms, separate pictures. What gives here? ---- NEW CLUE: Concealed message COLE PHELPS: 'To my Adrian'... This thing gets more and more interesting. COLE PHELPS: This must be Adrian's. ---- NEW CLUE: Glasses case COLE PHELPS: Stenzel. So, the glasses are a match. ---- NEW CLUE: InstaHeat flyer ---- ---- NEW CLUE: InstaHeat receipt COLE PHELPS: This was only recently installed. Not two days ago. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Maybe it's time we took a look around outside. COLE PHELPS: No use leaving the thing half finished. ---- NEW CLUE: Water heater COLE PHELPS: So the pipe missing from Mr Black's heater is the same one that killed him. Seems like the assailant is a little closer to here. MARGARET BLACK: I'm alright now, Detectives. COLE PHELPS: We found a receipt in the trunk of your husband's car for a live pig. The receipt was made out to an F Morgan. MARGARET BLACK: A pig? Adrian runs a tool business. That would be Frank Morgan. God knows what he is up to. COLE PHELPS: What makes you say that about Morgan, ma'am? MARGARET BLACK: He's the foreman at my husband's plant. A very shady character. I've told Adrian he needs to keep his distance from the staff. They're always out drinking together. COLE PHELPS: Your husband frequents Cavanagh's Bar? MARGARET BLACK: How did you know that? Adrian practically lives there after work. COLE PHELPS: So Adrian spends a lot of time there? MARGARET BLACK: Up until recently. He's been away in Seattle a lot on business. COLE PHELPS: Did your husband tell you where he was going last night. MARGARET BLACK: All he said was, he was going to meet Frank for a drink. COLE PHELPS: So nothing out of the usual then? MARGARET BLACK: Well, he came home early from work. He never comes home early. And he went out early, too. He normally never leaves for the bar till about seven. COLE PHELPS: Tell us about the photo of Adrian in the bedroom. MARGARET BLACK: What is there to tell? It's from his most recent business trip to Seattle. COLE PHELPS: There's plenty to tell, you just won't tell it. You're lying about the photograph, Mrs Black. MARGARET BLACK: You're incredibly rude and insensitive, but I guess you know that. I've told you what I know about the picture. COLE PHELPS: What about Nicole, Mrs Black? Was your husband going to leave you for her? MARGARET BLACK: I've seen the photo frame. He thinks I'm stupid... but women sense these things. I don't know if he intended to leave me, or if it was just a fling... God only knows. I only want to know that's he's safe. COLE PHELPS: Was your husband wearing his glasses when he left here yesterday? MARGARET BLACK: Yes, he just bought a new pair. COLE PHELPS: Go on. MARGARET BLACK: I kept telling him to throw those old ones away. He tried to repair them with tape. They looked terrible. COLE PHELPS: I think you should come clean with us, Mrs Black. Your husband is missing and after our search I'm willing to call the circumstances suspicious. Can you account for your movements last night? MARGARET BLACK: You're not accusing me, are you? What an awful thing to say! I was here all night, of course, waiting for Adrian to come home! COLE PHELPS: Is there anyone who can vouch for that? MARGARET BLACK: Well... no. I was here alone. I cooked Adrian's dinner and waited, but he never came home. COLE PHELPS: We'll keep you informed, Mrs Black. MARGARET BLACK: Please do, Detective. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Jesus, I'm glad to be out of there. COLE PHELPS: Mr and Mrs Black don't seem to have the happiest home life. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: He's too scared to divorce her, and she's too much of a shrinking violet to throw him out. If this hadn't happened, they could have stayed miserable together forever. COLE PHELPS: You think she could have killed him? STEFAN BEKOWSKY: She sure as hell doesn't seem the type. But stranger things have happened. IRWIN BOUSMAN: Hey! I know you! COLE PHELPS: No, you don't. IRWIN BOUSMAN: We were at school together. Hey - how about you buy me a drink for old time's sake? BARTENDER: You looking for someone? COLE PHELPS: You know Frank Morgan? BARTENDER: Sure. Frank's a regular. He's the loner in the back. ---- NEW OBJECTIVE: Interview Frank Morgan COLE PHELPS: Frank Morgan? FRANK MORGAN: Who's asking? COLE PHELPS: Cole Phelps, LAPD. I understand you're a friend of Adrian Black. FRANK MORGAN: Yeah, I know him. COLE PHELPS: Are you aware that he's missing? FRANK MORGAN: No, I hadn't heard that. Tough break. COLE PHELPS: We found Black's car abandoned in a freight depot. Covered in blood. You know anything about that, Morgan? FRANK MORGAN: Hell no. I'm sorry to hear that. I like Adrian. He's a good boss. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Oh, please. Don't tell me you actually believe this jerk-off, Phelps. COLE PHELPS: You're lying, Morgan. You were there. FRANK MORGAN: And you're talking out your ass, Detective. How about you prove that I was out at that railyard? COLE PHELPS: You were there, Morgan. We found a receipt in the trunk of the car. It has your name on it. We can call the slaughter yard and nail you on it. FRANK MORGAN: Alright already. That fool Adrian's fallen for some dame in Seattle. He wanted me to make it look like he'd been attacked NEW LOCATION: Adrian Black's Whereabouts (?) ---- COLE PHELPS: Where exactly is Black holed up? FRANK MORGAN: No idea. I think he took off for Seattle. COLE PHELPS: I'm tired of your shtick, Morgan. Spill it or we take you out in the alley and we knock it out of you. FRANK MORGAN: He's holed up at my place. He's waiting for some money to come through before he blows town. COLE PHELPS: An address? FRANK MORGAN: It's an apartment house at the corner of Temple and Figueroa. Apartment number two. ---- NEW OBJECTIVE: Interview Morgan's Apartment ---- ---- NEW LOCATION: Morgan's Apartment COLE PHELPS: I think that's all. Thanks for the help, Morgan. We appreciate it. FRANK MORGAN: Hey - I'm just glad I could help. I love cops. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Cuff him, let him go - it's up to you, Phelps. No way I'm writing this idiot up. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: You got Morgan's address? Let's get over to his apartment. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: I've met some pretty good liars in my time. People who sound convincing because they actually believe their own bullshit. That type is clever, hard to catch out. COLE PHELPS: Frank Morgan is not one of those people. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: No, he is not. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Let's check the place out. Come on. COLE PHELPS: Apartment two. ADRIAN BLACK: Help you, gentlemen? COLE PHELPS: LAPD detectives, Mr Black. You're under arrest. ADRIAN BLACK: Look - I'm really sorry about this. I never tried to hurt anyone. I just needed to get away from LA. I won't put up a struggle. Just let me get my things. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: I knew it. Phelps, go after him! I'll try and head him off in the car. Remember - the gun is the last resort! STEFAN BEKOWSKY: Stop right there, Adrian! COLE PHELPS: Why not just come clean with her, Black? Why the melodrama? ADRIAN BLACK: I thought it would be easier. COLE PHELPS: No, it just got a whole lot harder. Adrian Black - you're under arrest for conspiracy and fraud. We'll see what the DA has to say about wasting police resources on a wild goose chase like this. STEFAN BEKOWSKY: You're gonna lose your wife, lose your job and probably end up in the big house. I hope she was worth it, Adrian. CAPTAIN GORDON LEARY: That turned out to be quite some case, huh? Adrian... what an idiot. You got an arrest and a clearance in your first case and in fine style too. Well done, Detective. Efficient investigation technique, good public presence. You keep that up and you learn from Bekowsky here and you could go a long way in this Department. Category:Dialogue